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Mariner's 2011 Off Season Thread

So, the 2011 Season is over with, the records set and now we must look ahead to next season.

Of course, this year was a disappointment, ending up with a 67-95 record good for 4th in the AL West race.

This past year gave us a look at a lot of prospects (Pineda, Ackley, Carp and others) and got rid of a bit of dead weight (in the form of Cust and others).

This next Season, I think that the strength is still our pitching, with Felix and Pineda heading it up. Felix took a dip this year but that is understandable with such a destitute offense to back him up. And Pineda dropped off at the end of a long season, but I can see him learning a lot from last year and moving forward. He needs to learn a lesson that Felix did just a few years back. That while you may have a devestating Fast Ball among other pitches, you sometimes need to take a little off at times. The 2 of them together, possibly for several years gets me very excited though!

Offensively, the team will improve with both Ackley and Carp starting for us from the beginning of the season. We could use some of Carps power, and with him playing every day, 25+ HR's is definitely not out of the question. As for Ackley, he will surely grow as well and will be a solid producer towards the top of the lineup as well. I also hope that Smoak may be able to turn it around and stay healthy. He has shown a few flashes of what he can do and I really liked what I saw.

I don't know what to do about Ichiro, I guess just wait and see what he decides to do. I want to have Seager start at 3B over Figgins.

We have a few other kids who I want to be given a shot at being on the opening day roster as well such as Liddi and Peguero. They along with Casper Wells have shown potential, especially in the HR department, something this team has greatly lacked for several years now. We were 2nd to last in the AL in HR's this past year (109), just ahead of Minnesota (103).

Our Bullpen sure could use and infusion of talent and maybe this offseason we could address that.

So, what are your thoughts on the 2012 season? What are some areas we could addresss this offseason? Are there any big name FA's that could help us? Do you think we will go after any of them?

I'm thinking the M's need to trade King Felix for a bat or two - before he heads into free agency. You know that he'll never resign w/ the M's... Maybe snag a catching prospect and a new RF'er for him. The Rockies come to mind as possible suitors, so do the Yanks and Rays.

Don't we have Felix for 3 more years? I am sure we could move him to any number of places (even at his $20 Million/year price tag) but seeing as he is under contract for a couple more years, I say let's get some more use out of him.

I am looking for him to rebound a bit this next season and with Pineda behind him, that still gives a formidable 1-2 punch.

I have heard talk of the M's pursuing Fielder and other talk of us possibly going after Joey Votto. Either way it would be very costly and we do have Smoak who if he could stay healthy does have some upside.

The M's among other teams HAVE been out to watcher Moyer throw recently, so that is not the most unlikely scenario. Bedard, could be gotten for less I think, say 1 year for 3 million with a team option for a 2nd year?

I'll be honest, I do not see the Votto deal happening. And with Pineda going out with it, it would really hurt (though it would be made nicer by also getting rid of Figgins).

Cameron says he will be coming out with a possible plan, NOT involving Votto, so I am waiting to see what that involves.

I say, if you are going to spend a lot of money on a Big $ 1Bman, why not go after Fielder? He is a FA after all and we would not have to get rid of Pindeda to get him. He would automatically make our team halfway respectable. And with Ackley there as a compliment and Carp possibly DH'ing, we could put together a decent lineup, one that has some power and puts some fear into opposing pitchers, no like we did the past 2 years with players hitting .188, 196, a DH hitting .213. Get rid of the crap and put some real players into the lineup.

The Mariner's also have a handful of prospects with which to work with.

Alex Liddi, who played 15 games for us last year has shown some tremendous power down in the minors, including hittin 30 HR's last year in 138 games! They say his Defense is nothing to write home about but that bat could be enough to give him a shot if Figgins continues to not get it done. He also put in 24 games at SS last season down in Tacoma, so he could be a possible option there as well.

Danny Hultzen, has a shot at being on the roster or will at least get a good hard look come Spring. Most likely he will start off in AA or AAA but don't be expecting him to stay there long if he dominates like many think he will. He pitched masterfully in the AFL Rising Star game, striking out the side in the first and not giving up a hit in his 2 innings of work. When he was drafted, he was tagged as the most Major League ready player. Not that he should be rushed but if he has it already, then let's not wait.

Who is coming back;
C - Miguel Oliva: under contract another year, but an upgrade would be nice. Trading for a promising young catcher that could push Oliva in 2012 and take over by 2013 should be a priority. We have nobody close to the majors in our system.
1B - Justin Smoak has shown some flashes and should be penciled in as the Opening Day starter, short of signing Fielder (even then Fielder should plan on alot of DH time).
2B - Dustin Ackley is a very good player already and should get even better. Maybe the only guy who seems likley to be a key player on a future M's championship team?
3B - Kyle Seager is the imcumbant I guess and the best bet to be a decent player of the organizational possibilities. Figgins needs to be gone. Liddi probably needs some more AAA seasoning. We could use a stop gap 3B as insurance or a platoon partner for Seager, preferably a RH hitter with a little pop (well ALOT of pop would be nice, but not realistic ).
SS - Brendan Ryan is under contract and had a very solid season. Excellent with the glove and love the hustle, but he sure shouldn't be hitting in the 2 hole. Nick Franklin is the future at SS so no need to be shopping for a repacement for Ryan.
LF - Mike Carp and Casper Wells could share this spot or a bigger bat could be brought in with Carp DHing and Wells as 4th OF. Robinson, Peguera and Halman I think could all use more AAA time, although 1 of them could possibly help as a role player this year. Another hitter or two really need to be added and LF, DH and 3B are the most likley places to add one.
CF - Franklin Gutterirrez will be back, but we need a plan B if he continues to regress - or make that if he doesn't significantly bounce back. The glove is still great, but his bat has been limp for ayear and a half and the power is completely missing. An outfielder who could hit well enough to play LF, but is also capable of sliding over to CF would be a smart pickup this offseason.
RF - Ichiro Suzuki has another year at 18M on his contract and is, of course, a Seattle icon so he will be in the opening day lineup and figures to get a long chance to prove he still has soemthing left. A bounce back by Ichiro is almost essential to the M's hopes of putting a competitive lineup on the field in 2012. It might not be the best thing for team's future though. We need to resist the tempation to sign the aging RFer to an extention that will tie us to a 40 year old former star in 2013 and beyond. Its been a thrill Ichiro, but even if you bounce back we should be thinking pay cut and opne year at a time - and I don't know that he can swallow his pride enough to accept that.
DH - Mike Carp should be starting or at least platooning here if he isn;t in LF. An impact bat needs to be acquired at one of those spots. If its a big bopper with limited defensive skills then Carp gets first shot in LF, if its a legit defensive OFer then Carp is at DH.

SP - Felix Hernandez and Micheal Pineda should be a great one-two punch for years to come. Jason Vargas is solid. Does Blake Beavan become our new Doug Fister or go the way of most strike throwers who don't strike anyone out? Chances are we'll get the chance to see next year. Charlie Furbush may get a look, although I think his future is probably in the bullpen. It is probably a stretch to hope Hultzen or Paxton are ready to join the Opening Day rotation, although either has a shot to contribute at some point next year. We are well stocked in quality pitching prospects so its unlikley we'll spend big bucks or trade major talent for pitching (more likley we'll trade some of that pitching for a catcher and/or outfielder with some upside). Adding a veteran SP to add some depth/insurance does seem like a good idea though. Rolling the dice on Bedard again would be an option if he is cheap enough. I've heard talk of a Jamie Moyer return, which would be a nice story but doesn't actually excite me much.
RP - Brandon League returns as closer and I feel pretty good about him in that role. We got a group of hard throwing, young RH pitcher - Wilhemson, Lucke, Kelly, Cortes, etc and I'm willing to bet on a couple of them coming through next year. We could use a dependable LHP and we'll probably invite a few journeymen coming off injuries or off seasons to compete (we alwways do), but the bullpen shouldn't be an area we expend any significant resources on this offseason.

--Anyway I see us going after a power bat in LF and/or DH, a 3B who can platoon with Seager or take the job if he struggles, a catcher with some upside and a cheap SP. Plus a few fringey guys and lottery ticket types.

It would be nice to see someone to take over @ Catcher by next season. Like you said, there is no one in the organization who looks to be able to do so.

Brendan Ryan is good enough for now @ SS.

As far as Ichiro is concerned, there is not much we can do about him at the moment. Just hope he rebounds from last year.

I like Felix, Pineda, Vargas as 1-3. I would be okay trying to sign Bedard as long as he is $3 Million Cheap (make it very incentive laden).

I like the idea of signing Moyer but not sure if actually having him pitching regulary does. He is fine for a team like the Phillies who can score lots of runs regularly but not for this team. Maybe he could only pitch @ Safeco . . . I still really like the guy and hope he does pitch until 50!

I don't see Jack Z trying to outspend the other GMs in pursuit of Fielder, or trying to sell our young prospects in exchange for a few years of ONE decent hitter (who will most likely bail in Free Agency when the time comes).

I think his modus operandi will resemble something like this:
1. Get talented prospects by trading established players or through draft.
2. Build prospects into established players/super stars.
3. Upon failing to re-sign established players/super stars, trade established players/super stars for a handful of top-rated prospects.
4. Repeat 1-3.

If we're lucky, we'll have a run like Tampa Bay.
If we're even more lucky, maybe Carp, Robinson, or Ackley (or whoever) will fall in love with Seattle and try to spend his career there (a la Jay Buhner).

Personally, I'm okay with the build and trade GM strategy - it's better than ending up with a $115 million dollar payroll full of overpaid mediocrity.

Swing and a drive! This one is deep! This one is... over the fence and into the neighbor's yard!

Danny Hultzen has been doing some wonderful things in the AFL so far. He has posted a 1.40 ERA in 19.1 IP with 18 SO and 5 BB's.

In his last 3 outtings, he has 10.1 IP, 1 ER, 16 SO and only 2 BB's!

He was sharp on Saturday with 6 SO in 2.2 IP, 0 runs!

This does not mean he is Major League ready but if he keeps this up, I think he has an even chance at making the starting day roster. We seem to have done well recently with some young pitchers on staff and having them all work together could be beneficial to him. Felix is a great leader and example for the other pitchers. Working hard day in day out.

Hultzen is heads above any other pitcher from the 2011 draft, including #1 draft pick Gerrit Cole. I at least hope to see a lot of him at Spring Training.

What do you think of Daniel Murphy at third base for the Mariners? In 2011 he hit 6 home runs with 49 RBI's and had a .809 OPS and a 125 OPS+ in 109 games. He is a natural third baseman and I like Murphy but he is blocked by Dubs at third and Ike Davis at first base. Murphy also hit a home run off Justin Verlander back in June.

He got hurt playing second base in August and was lost for the season. I expect he will bounce back in 2012. He's made some odd base-running and fielding oddities but he's also eligible for arbitration in 2013 so he would be affordable for any team.

I think the Mets could trade Murphy for some pitching - lefty preferably - from the Mariners who have a good farm system.

He is an interesting prospect for us at 3B. He hit .320 last year with 6 HR but has potential for 15-20 HR power. He also hit .313 at home last year (.325 on the road), so he is a decent contact hitter.

My biggest problem with him is that he seems to be injury prone.

If he could stay healthy or if we could get him for cheap then he could be a good deal. We have a couple options open for us at 3B, we don't know if they will pan out but we have options so it is not a total bust if we did not go out and pick up someone like Murphy. But Murphy has shown himself to be able to hit Major League pitching and done so decently even in a pitchers park.

I'd be interested to see what it would take to get him. Possibly a couple prospects and cash? Or would it be more?

"The Blue Jays, Mariners, Marlins, Nationals, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees are among the Major League teams that have been mentioned as possibly in the sealed bidding for the negotiating rights for the right-hander's services." (Bold added)

Who knows if we will get him but I am glad to hear that we are at least in the hunt. Adding him to the rotation would be amazing.

There hasn't been a lot of big action coming out of the M's organization yet this off season, so to at least hear that they are in contention is nice.

The Astros seem to be looking to shop LHP Wandy Rodriguez. He has averaged nearly 200 IP the past 3 years and has put up decent numbers over that time as well. He will be 33 years old in 2012 but it sounds as if the Astros might be willing to pay part of his contract to unload him. I think he is an interesting prospect and depending on how much of his contract will be covered, maybe he could be an option.

The M's have not done much yet but I in my deepest edges of my imagination wonder if they would/could get Fielder, Darvish and maybe even Wandy. Lots of money but that puts us closer to contention.

We would have a top notch rotation, rivaling the best in the league and with Fielder in the middle of the lineup, we should score a couple more runs for them. The offense and defense would still be a bit lacking but if there could be at least an improvement, then we could be contenders come the end of the year.

And with the Rangers and the revamped Angels in our division, we would need to do something drastic like this to be anywhere in the mix.

Sure this is hopeful wishing and unrealistic but until it is all settled in the end, I can still dream.

The M's just signed Japanese Pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma! They say he has a FB in the '90's and is a control pitcher with 90 SO and only 19 BB's last season (albeit in only 119 IP).

He was the MVP in 2008 after a fabulous season, going 21-4 with a 1.87 ERA. He was sidelined last season with a sore shoulder but he says he is throwing now with no pain. Let's hope this works out! Either way, he wasn't too expensive with a, "$1.5 million base, with a potential of another $3.4 million in performance bonuses based on innings and games pitched".

The M's just signed Japanese Pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma! They say he has a FB in the '90's and is a control pitcher with 90 SO and only 19 BB's last season (albeit in only 119 IP).

He was the MVP in 2008 after a fabulous season, going 21-4 with a 1.87 ERA. He was sidelined last season with a sore shoulder but he says he is throwing now with no pain. Let's hope this works out! Either way, he wasn't too expensive with a, "$1.5 million base, with a potential of another $3.4 million in performance bonuses based on innings and games pitched".

Given the money and the potential upside, I'd say this was a great deal for the Mariners. May end up being a bargain even.

Swing and a drive! This one is deep! This one is... over the fence and into the neighbor's yard!

I don't think it's official yet but certainly sounds close to being done.

Of course, I am definitely sad to see Pineda go - anytime you have a talent like that... But we honestly are getting a good trade in Montero. A Catcher/DH with good hitting skills and great power, a must have for this team. Plus he is young as well.

And we are also giving up pitching prospect Jose Campos, a highly touted RHP. He has a lot of upside but is still a few years away. In return, the Yanks are giving us Hector Noesi. Noesi is 24 and just coming off his first season in the big leagues. He only started 2 games for the yankees last season but they say he could try and challenge for a spot in the starting rotation. My thought is that with all of the pitching we have, he won't make it.

I think Campos is worth more than Noesi but Noesi can have an immediate impact now (though seeing the 4.47 ERA he had last season, let's just hope he improves and has a good impact for us).

1. Ichiro (RF) (hope he rebounds at least a little)
2. Dustin Ackley (2B) - could hit .300, take some walks, learn to steal from Ich and can hit 15-20+ HR's
3. Jesus Montero (C/DH) - A possible legit hitter, .300+ with upwards of 30 HR's!
4. Mike Carp (LF/DH) - Decent Contact hitter with 25+ HR power
5. Justin Smoak (1B) - Has shown some flashes of what he is capable of and if he can stay there, then we will all be happy! Just hope he can stay healthy.
6. .....
7. ....
8. ....
9. ....

The top 100 prospects list has come out and the M's have 5 in the top 100. In fact, according to the crude mathematics done with the list, the Mariners have the highest aggregate score of 329 (aided by the new addition of #12 on the list, Jesus Montero).

The Padres had the most on the list with 6 but the 5 M's players ranked higher.

I still think the Mariners should acquire Daniel Murphy from the Mets. The Mets need prospects and Murphy can get on base for the Mariners. He did miss all of 2010 due to injury and all of 2011 after a collision at second base in August.

His bat will definitely play, it’s more a matter of finding the position where he’ll do the least damage.